Chicago Fire: Leaked Photo Reveals Mouch's Fate in Season 12

Summary:

• Chicago Fire Season 11 ended with a cliffhanger that left Mouch on the verge of dying of shrapnel wounds.
• Recent BTS pictures from the Chicago Fire set revealed that Mouch will make it and return to the firehouse.
• Despite other original characters not making it to Season 12, fans are happy that Mouch will survive.

Randall McHolland, best known as Mouch, has always been among the most beloved Chicago Fire characters. That’s why when in Season 11’s final cliffhanger, his life presumably ended, fans were stressed and distraught. Since the S11 finale, we’ve all been wondering whether the veteran firefighter will fool death once again.

There’s still quite some time before Season 12 rolls out, but a new leaked photo from the Chicago Fire set reveals Mouch’s fate, and fans are excited about it.

What Happened to Mouch in the Season 11 Finale?

Long story short, there was a call with an active shooter, and Mouch was wounded with shrapnel. The situation looked dire, but he made it to the hospital in time; after the initial inspection, it was concluded that the shrapnel did not endanger the man’s life, and he was stabilized. It was expected that Mouch would recover just fine.

However, later, when Herrmann visited his fellow veteran at the hospital, Mouch suddenly paled and started bleeding extensively. Herrmann saw his friend's flatlining and frantically rushed for the doctors, and the last shots were of Mouch’s flat line with Herrmann’s cries for help and the unnerving beeping sound from the bed.

This cliffhanger concluded Season 11, and Chicago Fire fans have been tormented by the question of whether Mouch would make it against all odds ever since. Christian Stolte, the Mouch actor, added fuel to the flame by posting what looked like a farewell to Chicago Fire on his Instagram accounts, scaring the fans even more.

“No spoilers, I just want to say it’s been an extraordinary 11 years, and I am so very grateful for the experience. Truck on, Chi-Hards,” wrote the actor.

What Did the New Leaked Photo Reveal About Mouch’s Fate?

Recently, a popular Instagram fan account of the One Chicago franchise posted a BTS picture from the shooting of Chicago Fire Season 12 (Episode 2, most likely). The photo clearly shows Mouch chatting with — presumably — Herrmann and Cruz. The latter two are harder to establish, but Mouch is most definitely there.

In the picture, Mouch is wearing his firefighter uniform meaning that he not only survives his life-threatening accident but returns to work immediately after it. That’s great to know, and needless to say, fans were delighted to learn Mouch was well!

How Did Fans React to the BTS Shot of Mouch?

The vast majority of Chicago Fire fans were happy to learn that Mouch made it into the next season. Some even claimed they would have quit watching the show if he turned out to have died, but now, the general attitude is positive. However, a few fans pointed out that potentially, this could be a flashback scene about the good old days.

But that’s quite unlikely.

“Since we don't have the full details, a flashback scene cannot be ruled out. But, here is my way of thinking. <...> With all the budget cuts, would they want to pay him to just do a flashback scene? Seems like more trouble than it's worth to bring the actor back just for that. That's why we think Mouch survived,” Ok-Coconut1074 explained.

Now that Mouch has a chance for a happy retirement with Trudy, the most investigative fans also try to figure out why exactly was the veteran firefighter saved.

If we rule out Christian Stolte messing with everyone’s heads in his Instagram post, it looked like he was convinced his character would die. What could’ve changed that?

“I think Alberto exiting is what probably saved Mouch. <...> Probably the original plan was Kara and Christian exiting, but then when Alberto also wanted to exit, the plan changed to Kara and Alberto exiting and Mouch was saved. The fans would have probably rioted if all 3 exited. That's my speculation,” Ok-Coconut1074 shared.

Either way, whether Mouch was never supposed to die or rescued at the last second thanks to other original cast members exiting the show, Chicago Fire fans are glad things turned out this way. Mouch has always been among the fan favorites, and his death would have been a tough blow for most fans…and characters, too.

Yes, Herrmann, we’re looking at you.

Source: @chi.hard via Instagram